The "defiant" Indian Olympic Association "finally slammed its door on corrupt officials on Sunday in a precariously late act of compliance to get the country's Olympic ban overturned," according to Amlan Chakraborty of REUTERS. The IOA "remains suspended" for going ahead with its Dec. '12 election in which Lalit Bhanot, who spent 11 months in jail on corruption charges, "was voted in as secretary general." The IOC "subsequently offered a lifeline," and a Monday deadline, for "the dithering IOA to bar all tainted officials from contesting its elections." Senior IOA official S. Reghunathan, who chaired Sunday's meeting, said, "We've amended the constitution. Once the amendment is accepted (by IOC), they'd revoke the suspension so that we can conduct a fresh election" (REUTERS, 12/8). The PTI reported Reghunathan said that both IOA President Abhay Singh Chautala and Bhanot, who were charge-framed by the court, "would be ineligible to contest IOA elections to be held on February 9 once the IOC approves the amendment" (PTI, 12/8). Reghunathan said, "Both Chautala and Bhanot told the house they will not contest the upcoming elections. In fact, Chautala proposed the amendment and Bhanot seconded it" (AFP, 12/8). The BBC reported IOC President Thomas Bach said on Saturday that India "would face expulsion from the Olympic movement unless they complied." Bach: "The [Olympic] charter is clear. If the suspension leads to no solution, then further steps could be withdrawal of recognition." No country has been banned from the Olympics since South Africa was expelled between '68 and '88 during the apartheid era. Bach: "We need to be strict and to make sure the rules of good governance are being applied" (BBC, 12/8).
